Wish
by Faythren
Summary: Life Versus Living One-Shot. Liv may not be able to have her Christmas wish, but what she does have, she wouldn't give it up for the world.


_**Author's Note**_

 _And, I'm back! It's been a while, hasn't it. Sorry about that. I've been working on other things, from my Move Along series to an original fiction that I hope to be able to publish within the next few months. Not to mention real life craziness, but I'm not done with this universe! Liv and her world still have more to give me._

 _Speaking of, I would like to say that this one-shot was inspired by my own personal weakness for soft things. And then it just kind of took off from there._

 _Alright, go onward and enjoy!_

* * *

 _ **Wish**_

Liv wakes up with a gasp, hands clenching the damp sheets tangled around her and sweat coating her face. A strangled cry tries to break out of her throat but she doesn't let it, not this time. Instead, she takes a moment to realize where she is—takes a moment to let some of the fear recede—and then sits up in bed, elbows resting on bent knees and hands wiping tiredly at her face. She peeks out of the corner of her eye at the digital clock on the nightstand and groans, flopping back down on the bed.

It's only a little after midnight. Less than two hours have gone by since she went to bed.

She stares into the darkness of her bedroom for a while, waiting for her heart to stop hammering in her ribs like it's trying to break out of a cage. This is certainly not the first nightmare she's had, and it definitely won't be the last, but she's gotten better at holding it in. At not calling out in the night in terror and waking Owen.

She's woken him up so many times over the past months since he's adopted her. He's lost so much sleep because of her. And he's been pulled away from Claire so many times because of her, who's started spending more and more nights at the bungalow. Claire says she doesn't mind, that it's okay to need Owen—her dad—after a nightmare, but Liv still feels bad about it every time.

After several minutes and her heart has calmed down, it's still silent in the house. Good. That means she really didn't wake up Owen this time. Though it wouldn't have been so bad tonight. Claire isn't here, she's back at her own apartment in the hotel since Karen, Zach, and Gray are visiting again. It's just Liv and Owen in the bungalow tonight, but she's still glad not to have woken him up.

It's going to be a long day, after all. It's Christmas.

The park is still open for Christmas, to the disappointment of all the workers. Masrani Global doesn't let them close on major holidays since those are the most popular days for people to go on vacation. Christmas is actually one of the busiest days of the year for Jurassic World, so it is all hands on deck.

No rest for the weary, but they do still plan on having a proper Christmas. Liv, Owen, Barry, Claire, Karen, Zach, and Gray are all going to meet up at the bungalow after the park closes to exchange gifts and enjoy whatever remains of the holiday.

It'll be Liv's first actual Christmas. The holiday was never anything much before. Vic always had to work when she was with him and would go celebrating with his buddies on the mainland at night, completely forgetting about her. With her mom, she'd get maybe a little present, like a gift card or something, but it would be left for her on the kitchen table. Liv isn't really sure where her mom spends Christmas but it was never with her.

She's never had a Christmas with Owen though. Since meeting him, Christmas has always fallen in the middle of the week. She knows he would have given her an actual Christmas if she had been here, but at least she'll get one now.

And all the years to come.

That's later, though, much later. Liv still has to make it through the rest of the night and all day. If she doesn't get more sleep, there's probably no hope of making it to the celebration. She's tired, so tired, but she's too afraid to close her eyes, too afraid to see images of Vic that just won't go away.

She knows he's dead, she knows he's never coming back—can never hurt her again—but, in a way, he still hasn't left her. He's still tormenting her, even from the grave.

The bedroom door opens with a soft click and Liv's heart beats hard against her chest again, that irrational part of her brain that can't get rid of Vic telling her that someone meaning her harm is trying to sneak in. She scrambles for the lamp on the nightstand, turning it on and squinting through the sudden brightness at the intruder.

Even with her ability to see auras, it takes a ridiculously long second to realize it's just Owen, squinting back at her in the doorway.

He rubs at his eyes, trying to get them to focus, and then gives her an apologetic smile. "Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you."

Liv lets out a shaky breath, leaning back against the headboard of her bed. "You didn't."

Owen cocks his head curiously, closing the door behind him and sitting down at the end of the bed. "What were you doing up?"

She just shrugs, not looking at him.

"Was it another nightmare?"

No answer.

He sighs. "Why didn't you come and get me?"

She shrugs again. "Didn't want to bother you again."

"Liv." He slides closer to her on the bed so he can place a finger under her chin and tilt her face up to look at him. There's no irritation or annoyance. Only quiet patience, like what he uses when the raptors are misbehaving. "You can always bother me. You don't have to deal with the nightmares on your own."

"But I'm sixteen. I _should_ be old enough to deal with them by myself."

"But most kids your age—heck, most people in general will never go through the things you've been through. These aren't just normal nightmares, Liv. Your mind is scarred and it's trying to heal."

Liv flinches, looking away again. They've never used the phrase PTSD but it would probably apply to her. They _have_ discussed her going to a therapist, though, but she always shies away from the thought of that, not wanting to open up to a complete stranger—about the abuse or her mutant abilities.

She'd rather just deal on her own. Though maybe that isn't really working so well.

"So what are you doing up?" she suddenly asks, wanting to change the subject.

"Well…." It's Owen's turn to look away, his eyes suddenly dark and it isn't just the shadows of the room reaching out to him. He takes her hand and squeezes reassuringly, though it doesn't really feel like it's for her comfort but…his. "You're not the only one with nightmares, kid."

Oh.

He was checking on her, making sure she's still here and safe.

She needs that sometimes, too, after a nightmare, that little reassurance that Owen isn't far away. It's half the reason why she cries out, yelling for him. But she didn't expect him to need the same. "Was it from your time in the navy?"

"No, it…." He takes in a deep breath, struggling to get the words out. Not in embarrassment, but more like he doesn't want to think about the nightmare again. "You were in it."

She nods in understanding. "The Incident, then?"

"No." He squeezes her fingers, looking for that reassurance again, and then he finally looks at her. What she sees takes her by surprise, just the shear amount of fear his eyes contain that she's never seen in him before.

"W-what was it?"

"You're not the only one who dreams about Vic," he whispers, Adam's-apple bobbing in his throat. "I dream about him still being alive sometimes, too. I see him take you away. But the worst ones are when…I-I dream that I wasn't fast enough to save you."

A shudder runs down Liv's spine. She kind of thinks she already knows what he's talking about but still she asks, "What do you mean?"

"I dream that you never came to me about the abuse and Vic takes it too far one day, hurting you so bad that not even you can heal from it. I try to get to you, to stop him, but I…I never make it."

Liv pushes the covers off of her, crawling over to Owen to burrow into his side. He instantly wraps his arms around her tight, head resting on top of hers. "I dream about that sometimes, too," she says, feeling the claws of the nightmare she just had trying to dig into her skull again. "Even dreamt about it before the Incident a few times."

They just sit in silence for a while, neither loosening their hold on each other. The fear still feels tight around them, but as each minute passes by it starts to ease. Liv feels Owen take in a deep breath and then slowly release it. The tension seeps from their skin and Liv closes her eyes. She feels warm. Safe. Surrounded. Like nothing can reach her here, not even Vic. Owen is strong enough to protect her and she hopes he feels the same. That he'll keep her safe.

So long as they stick together, hopefully one day they'll both be able to defeat the nightmares. Hopefully one day Vic will be gone for good, even his memory.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to sleep just yet," Owen says softly, dropping a kiss in her hair.

"I'm not either," she replies, tired but nowhere near tired enough to risk the dreams again.

"Come on, let's go." Owen stands, taking her hand and tugging her up with him.

"Where are we going?" she asks, following him out into the living room.

"It's technically Christmas morning," he says with a smirk, nowhere near as bright as he usually is but he's trying. "So let's get an early start to the day."

They leave the living room lights off, not needing the extra light since Owen already has the Christmas tree plugged in. Liv's never had an actual Christmas tree before and she smiles as she sees it again, lighting the room in soft rainbow-colored lights. She remembers when Owen first brought it home, having carted it over all the way from the mainland in the back of a truck while she was at school. They put it up and decorated it that night, giving Liv her first real taste of Christmas magic.

And seeing the presents underneath gives her another dose of that magic, making her eyes go wide.

"Where did all of those come from?" she whispers in awe. She had put a few presents under the tree last night, those that she got for Owen and Claire and everyone else. There were a few others as well, what she guessed were the presents Owen got for everyone, totaling maybe twelve presents or so in all. But now it looks like there's closer to twenty or more.

"I put them there after you went to bed," Owen says with a smug smile, sitting down on the floor in front of the tree.

Liv sits down next to him. "Who are they all for?"

"They're for you, of course."

Liv's mind short circuits for a second, looking back over all of the extra presents he added. She was expecting one thing from him, not…all of this.

Owen laughs, using a finger to close her mouth back up. "I think you're drooling, kid."

She quickly wipes at her mouth self-consciously, glaring at him when she doesn't feel any wetness. "Not funny."

He laughs again anyway.

"Seriously, I didn't think you'd get me so much. You didn't _have_ to get me so much. Why did you?"

"Because," he gives her a soft smile, ruffling her hair affectionately, "I'm lucky to have you in my life, Liv. I'm lucky to have you as a daughter. I wish I had you sooner. This is to make up for all that lost time, and because you deserve everything I can give you and more."

Liv's eyes begin to water and her throat closes up, making it impossible to get any words out even though she wants to. Instead, she propels herself forward, colliding with Owen in a massive hug. She holds on tightly, like she's trying to make up for the lost hugs in all of that lost time. Even in the time they've known each other, there's so many lost hugs. Because of Vic. Because, in the beginning, she was afraid to reach out to Owen like that.

If she were to have a Christmas wish, it would be to have been born as Owen's daughter, that way she could have always known him, could have always had him as her dad.

She knows there's no way that can happen, but she is so, so thankful to at least have him in her life now.

Owen rearranges them so that she stays burrowed into his side, his arm wrapped around her, while he uses his free hand to reach for the first present. He hands it to her and she looks up at him, brown eyes gleaming like…well, like a kid at Christmas. She finally understands that saying now, finally understands the feeling.

She peers down at the present curiously, squeezing it in her hands. It's oddly shaped and squishy, like a blob.

"Go on," Owen encourages excitedly. "Open it."

With a smile growing by the second, Liv tears through the paper, a giggle bursting out when she reveals the stuffed raptor. She runs her hands over it, red skin fuzzy instead of rough like the real thing. "A stuffed animal? Really?"

"I said I was making up for lost time. Stuffed animals are some of the most popular kids toys. And I've seen you looking at this one before."

She blinks up at him in surprise. Yeah, she's looked at this before, when out in the park. Sometimes after school Owen will take a break from work and meet up with her in the store near the Mosa's lagoon, then they'd go around the park together. They sell dinosaur stuffed animals there but she never thought Owen saw her looking at them. "When was that?"

"I saw you the first time about two months ago and then again a couple times after that."

Liv looks down at the raptor, using her hair to hide the small smile on her face as she strokes it again. "I have a weakness for soft things," she admits quietly. She's always loved how soft things feel against her skin—the smoothness, the gentleness.

Owen grins, reaching for the next present. "I thought that might be the case, which is why I also got you this."

She pulls the wrapping paper away and her hands meet more softness, lots of it, and she spreads it out in front of her. It's a blanket, the softest thing she's ever felt, with the Jurassic World logo on it. Liv instantly wraps it around herself, surrounding herself in fuzzy warmth. "I love it."

A lot of Owen's presents to her are like that, things little kids would want. But it's more than just that. It's things she missed out on growing up. She's never had a whole lot for herself. But now…now she does.

She has stuffed animals and a blanket and books she's never gotten to read but always wanted to. \She's got a new bookcase to put those books on and a pretty fairy figurine for her desk, not because she needs it but because she _can_ have it now. There's a beautiful handcrafted jewelry box and a few bracelets and necklaces and earrings to go in it.

These little things, they're better than the "older kid" things Owen gives her, even the new laptop. Each one was chosen with love, love that she can feel deep in her very soul.

When the last of Liv's presents are opened, it's her turn to reach under the Christmas Tree, handing a small box with a big bow to Owen.

"And what is this?" he asks with a big grin, holding the box up to his ear and shaking it. He doesn't wait for a response, just tears through the wrapping paper and opens it up, making Liv laugh.

She's not the only one like a kid at Christmas.

Owen suddenly goes oddly still as he stares down at his present, making Liv go stiff, too.

"Do you…Do you not like it?" she asks softly, thinking maybe she did something wrong.

"No, no, no, I do like it," he quickly reassures, shooting her a small smile but then he looks back to his present in bafflement. With shaky fingers, he takes it out, holding up a necklace a lot like the one he gave her years ago on her fourteenth birthday, a necklace she continues to wear even now. It has a leather cord with an animal tooth hanging from it by a metal loop. "Is that what I think it is?"

She nods. "A raptor tooth, yeah. I collected a few of them while mucking out the stables, when the raptors' baby teeth were falling out. I thought they were kind of neat." She chews on her bottom lip as he continues to stare down at the necklace, rubbing the tooth back and forth with his thumb. "Claire helped me get the jewelry makings and found someone to drill a hole through the tooth without breaking it. It's just…I wanted to replace the one you gave me and the tiger was the greatest animal your dad ever trained and the raptors are definitely that for you and…."

She trails off, fingering the tooth on her own necklace and muttering out a meek, "And now we match so…yeah."

Owen angles himself towards her to gather her up in a big hug, blanket and stuffed raptor and all. "I love it, Liv. Thank you." She burrows into his chest and he holds her tighter, placing a soft kiss on her head. "I love you."

She smiles. "Love you too, Dad."

He lets her go so that he can put his new necklace on, the tooth resting against his sternum. He smiles, standing and reaching down to help her to her feet as well. "You ready to try sleep again?"

She scuffs her feet against the hardwood floor, holding the blanket around her shoulders. "Not really," she admits.

Honestly, after all of this, sleep has kind of been chased from her mind. She feels like the raptors, wound up with barely-contained energy and needing a few training exercises to help calm them down.

"Yeah, me neither." Owen scratches the back of his head ruefully, looking around the room for something they can do. "Want to just try falling asleep in front of the T.V.?"

Liv frowns, not really liking the sound of that, but then a slow smile spreads across her face. "I have an idea."

"I'm not sure I like that look," Owen says warily. "I think you've learned that look from Charlie. It's the same one she has before she pulls something."

She arches a brow at him. "Are you saying I look like a velociraptor?"

"Nope, not at all!" he quickly corrects. "I'm just…what's your idea?"

She laughs. "Much better. We should grab a few things before we go though."

"Go? Go where?"

Her smile turns even more mischievous and she thinks maybe the raptors really are rubbing off on her. "You'll see."

* * *

"Liv, are you sure about this?" Owen says, watching Liv put in the key code for the cage connected to the raptor paddock.

"Of course I am," she replies, holding the door open for him. He trudges inside, surprisingly worried as he watches her lock them inside with a clanging finality. "You know I've done this before. And we've both been in the paddock with them dozens of times by now."

"Yeah, but I've never actually slept with them before." He closes his eyes with a wince, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That did not come out right."

Liv chuckles. "It's alright, I know what you mean. But you've got to calm down. Seriously, nothing bad is going to happen from spending the night with the raptors."

"How is this supposed to help me sleep?"

"It'll work. Trust me." She pushes the button to open the cage gate, the mechanical whirling echoing through the paddock jungle. Four auras perk up at the sound. The raptors can be light sleepers, that's why they're almost always up already before any of the trainers ever actually lay eyes on them in the morning. Survival instinct is hard to quench, even when they're safely tucked away in their paddock where nothing can get them.

When the gate is risen all the way, Liv and Owen step forward into the clearing, stopping in the middle without going any further.

"What are we waiting for exactly?" Owen whispers even though there's no need, but there's something about the silence of the jungle at night that mandates silence, like disturbing the jungle itself is a taboo not to be broken.

"We don't have any lights," she says softly, eyes on the tree line, "and I'm not about to trudge through there in the dark."

"Why did we come if we're not going in?"

"We're going in. We're just waiting on our guides."

They burst through the tree line a couple seconds later, heads crooked in curiosity. Liv steps forward with a grin, reaching out to them and they instantly surround her. She pets them each in turn, cooing affectionately.

"You'd give people heart attacks if they saw you doing that," Owen says, humor easily heard in his voice even though she can't see him very well in the dark. "You know, besides the workers of Jurassic World anyway."

"You're probably right," she muses. "Maybe we could make it a new attraction?"

"I highly doubt Claire would go for that."

"But it would be funny."

"Yeah, it would be, but she still isn't going for it and, as she likes to remind me, she's the boss." He shifts on his feet awkwardly, hoisting the backpack he carries up higher on his shoulder. "So, we getting this show on the road or what?"

"Yeah, just a sec." Liv focuses on Blue, scratching under the raptor's chin absentmindedly as she reaches her aura out to the bond she shares with the raptor pack. She tries to convey to the raptors her and Owen's inability to sleep, their exhaustion, and their need for comfort right now.

They want to feel safe. Owen makes her feel safe, but he needs the feeling, too, and there's no better place to give that to him than with his pack.

Blue chitters in acknowledgement and then barks to the others, Charlie instantly stepping towards the trees in order to lead the way. The others spread out, waiting.

"Come on," Liv says, waving with her hand for Owen to join her behind Charlie. "They'll take us to the nest."

"Is this how you did it, that night?" Owen asks, moving to stand beside her.

"Yeah," she says softly, knowing he's talking about the night Vic trapped her in here. She thinks the raptors are thinking about that night, too, because there's a nervous energy about them. Protective. "I couldn't see squat out here but the raptors led the way. I didn't trip once with their help."

Blue and Delta move to either side of them, Echo bringing up the rear. Liv places her hand on Delta's side, nodding to Owen to do the same. He places his hand on Blue's hide, patting it softly. "So we just follow their lead?"

"Pretty much."

Blue barks, eliciting a responding bark from Charlie who then looks back at them, chittering questioningly. Liv nods her head and Charlie leads them forward, into the forests of the night.

If she could barely see before, Liv definitely can't see a thing now, not with the canopy obscuring any kind of light. Though it's not like there's that much to begin with. It's cloudy, just enough to keep the moon mostly hidden from view but not enough to warrant worrying about rain.

It's perfectly fine for the raptors though, they're sharp eyes allowing them to see despite the darkness so they can lead Liv and Owen through it without a single fault.

One second they're surrounded by thick foliage, and then the next they're not, abruptly entering the small clearing in the center of the paddock where the raptors have made their nest. Charlie circles around to the far side and looks back at them expectantly, just like she did whey the raptors first brought Liv here.

"Are we all going to fit?" Owen asks doubtfully, looking down at the nest they're all supposed to sleep in.

"Er, I think?" Liv says sheepishly. "The raptors kind of like to sleep on top of each other so more than likely, yes, they'll make it work."

Owen snorts. "Terrific. But I'm not ending up as Charlie's pillow. I'm pretty sure she drools. And they don't snore, do they?"

"No, I don't think they snore," Liv says with a laugh, taking off her shoes and sitting down in the center of the nest. "Just get in."

"Fine, fine." He slings his backpack down next to her shoes—containing a change of clothes for both of them for the morning—and takes off his shoes as well. He's a lot more hesitant on actually getting in the nest but Blue nudges him encouragingly before maneuvering herself to lay down behind Liv.

He sits down gingerly next to Liv and she tugs on his hand to get him to lean back, resting against Blue's side. He looks to Blue, finding her already staring at him, and Liv can just tell that he's expecting the raptor to bite his head off any second for lying on top of her. Instead, Blue gives a bone-deep purr, laying her head down contentedly.

Liv laughs. "It's alright. They actually like this kind of stuff."

She snuggles into Owen's side and he finally starts to relax, wrapping his arm around her to draw her close. She lays her head on his shoulder and the others take that as the sign that they can get in the nest as well. Charlie goes first, nuzzling their feet out of the way so she can lay down at the far end of the nest. Liv automatically drapes her legs on top of the raptor, Owen following suit. Delta and Echo then get in on either side of them, their tails hanging out of the nest since there's not enough room but they don't seem to mind.

There's some wiggling and adjusting and Owen laughs, finally relaxing as everyone settles down for the night. They're completely surrounded by these dangerous animals, but there is no danger. Not for Liv and Owen.

"G'night," he says, closing his eyes.

"Night, Dad," Liv replies. "Night, pack."

The raptors chitter in response and slumber descends on them. Liv feels Owen's breathing slow and he's fast asleep in minutes. She smiles, closing her eyes with a content sigh. There's something about being surrounded by four velociraptors that feels so very safe.

Nothing can get them here, not nightmares, not Vic. Not even an Indominous Rex.

* * *

Chirping birds and bright sunlight wake Liv the next morning. She doesn't open her eyes yet, though. She's comfortable, surrounded by warmth on all sides and she really doesn't want to move. They shifted in the night sometime. Liv is now more on her side, head on Owen's chest and her legs curled up like she's trying to curl into a ball. Delta is closer to her—a lot closer—head pillowed on Liv's side.

There's no shouting like last time, but it's pretty bright out as far as she can tell through her eyelids. Either no one else is here yet or they didn't freak out this time.

Cool. That means she can sleep in.

"Liv," Owen grumbles, voice coated in sleep. "Liv."

She groans in protest, burying her face in his shirt. "Wha?"

"It's time to get up."

"Nuh-uh. Time to sleep."

He chuckles, a sound that vibrates in his chest below her ear. "No, it's time to get up. We've still got a lot to do today."

"How about we not?"

"Come on, Liv, it's Christmas. The sooner we get everything done, the sooner we can enjoy it with everyone."

"Actually, you're the one who needs to get things done. I'm going out into the park with Zach, Gray, and their mom."

"Really?" he says with exaggerated hurt. "You're just going to abandon me? _Us_?"

"Claire asked me to keep them entertained while she's at work."

"Maybe I should just lock you inside here with the ladies so you can't get away. I'm sure they'd love to spend the day with you training."

Liv's eyes crack open and she glares up at him. "Don't you dare."

"That's so cool!" a loud voice echoes all throughout the paddock, bouncing between the trees and startling them all. The raptors screech in protest, getting to their feet and on the defensive.

Liv groans as she and Owen are forced to sit up, glaring at the cause of the disturbance.

Gray winces from where he stands on the catwalk, smiling down on them apologetically. Zach smacks him upside the head. "Great going, Gray. You trying to get their heads bitten off?"

"Sorry!" Gray calls down, though his smile turns more eager. "But can we go down there?"

"I do not think so," Barry says, coming up the steps of the catwalk and looking at them all in disapproval. "Owen. You told me you would not do this."

"She did it," Owen says, pointing his finger accusingly at Liv. "She talked me into it. It's her fault."

Liv sticks out her tongue at him. "Gee, thanks."

"What? It's true."

Barry puts his hands on his hips, his gaze begging for seriousness. "Guys, this is not a good idea."

"What-?" Liv starts, but then Charlie nuzzles at her head, curious and demanding. She pushes the raptor's muzzle away from her face. "We're fine, Barry. Seriously. Does it look like we're not fine?"

Charlie nuzzles her again and Liv sighs, opening herself up to the bonds to find out what she wants. She laughs, pushing Charlie away once more.

"What is it?" Owen asks.

"She wants breakfast. I swear, she always thinks first with her stomach. Though it doesn't help that they know it's Christmas and that they're getting extra helpings of food today."

Barry sighs, shaking his head. "Just come out of there already. You're continued blatant disregard for your own safety is scaring me. And you better hurry before Karen finds you. I sent her searching in the Research Center but it's only a matter of time before she comes out."

Liv sighs but stands, Owen standing with her, and they gather their things.

If Karen finds out they spent the night here, then she'll tell Claire. And Claire will not be happy with them. At all.

Before they can head for the cage, the raptors chitter at them sadly. They don't want their alpha and hatchling to leave, they really enjoyed last night. Liv smiles regretfully, scratching each raptor under the chin in turn.

They'll be back, she tells them along the bond. And they'll do this again sometime.

Liv really liked last night, too, as did Owen considering how well-rested he seems.

They'll do it again, soon.

With their shoes back on and the backpack on Owen's shoulders, they head through the jungle towards the cage, the raptors following close every step of the way. They say their goodbyes to the raptors, Liv giving each of them a big hug, and then she and Owen step inside the cage, closing the gate to separate them from the pack.

It's harder this time for some reason. Leaving them. The way Charlie's chitters sound like crying doesn't help.

This would be the pack's Christmas wish, to always be with Liv and Owen. And just like Liv's wish, it is impossible.

But they can still make the most of what they have. What they have now is certainly better than what they had before.

Liv and Owen exit the cage and as soon as they do Liv is almost plowed down by Gray, getting wrapped in skinny arms and a face full of wild blond hair.

"Merry Christmas!" Gray chirps happily before stepping back and bouncing on his toes with barely contained energy.

Another morning person. Great.

Liv shakes her head in amusement, ruffling Gray's hair. "I think you may need a haircut for Christmas. It's getting a bit unruly. Maybe Barry can do it with his knife."

Gray's eyes go wide in horror, covering his head with his hands.

"Chill out, man," Zach laughs, bumping his brother's shoulder. "She's just messing with you."

Gray's shoulders deflate in relief and he chuckles sheepishly. "Oh. Good."

Liv laughs. "Merry Christmas, guys. It's good to see you again."

"Merry Christmas," Zach says softly, hesitating slightly before kissing her on the cheek

"Ew, gross," Gray says, nose screwing up in disgust.

"I second that!" Owen says, pushing himself between Liv and Zach. He wraps a protective arm around Liv's shoulder. "I'm not sure I'm okay with this kissing thing."

Liv rolls her eyes, whining, "Dad, you and Claire kiss all the time."

"T-That's…different." Liv arches a brow at him, just daring him to try that crap with her. He sulks. "Fine, then can I at least do my shovel talk?"

Live thinks it over for a minute and then relents with a nod. "You don't gripe anymore about Zach and me kissing _or_ about us being close, and I will let you give a shovel talk."

"Yes!" Owen cries victoriously, looking way too excited about this.

It's Zach's turn for his eyes to go wide. "Are you being serious right now?"

She shrugs apologetically. "Sorry, but he's going to find a way to give you a shovel talk whether we like it or not. At least this way we get something out of it."

"Alright, so, I'm going to keep this short, simple, and to the point," Owen says, wrapping a friendly arm around Zach's shoulders and drawing him closer to the cage, away from everyone else.

It's not quite far enough away, though, because Liv can still hear them, even as Gray chats on about the presents he got this morning.

"So, you treat Liv right, you hear me?" Owen says, far more serious than she thought he would be. She imagined joking threats to feed Zach to the raptors. Not this. "Liv has already been through a lot and she doesn't need a guy disrespecting her or being mean to her or mistreating her in any way. She's had enough of that for a lifetime already."

"I know," Zach says. "Her dad was a real jerk."

"No, you really don't know. You didn't really see her before she got away from Vic. You didn't…you didn't see how bad it was in the beginning. She'd barely let me get close to her. She's a lot better now but…I don't know how it's all going to affect her relationships with other people, especially guys. Vic wasn't exactly a good example of how guys should treat girls. So I guess what I'm trying to say is…be patient with her, and if she says she doesn't want to do something, don't force her. Just go slow."

Liv's chest suddenly feels tight, Owen voicing fears she thought she was keeping deep down where no one could see, not even herself.

"I understand, sir," Zach says, his tone respectful, taking Owen seriously. "I promise, I'll take good care of her."

"Good, because if you don't…." Owen's voice turns mischievous, just like she expected it to be in the first place. "I'll let you inside the raptor paddock to spend some time with the ladies, and trust me, you won't like the experience. They are just as protective of her as I am."

Liv bites her lip, wondering if the raptors really would hurt Zach if given the chance. She tries to think about it like they would. Zach would be a potential mate for Liv. The raptors would want that for her, but they would also want the _right_ mate for her. And if Zach turns out not to be….

Four growls rumble in the air like crackling lightning, a corresponding feeling of _mine_ echoing down the pack bond.

Okay, maybe Zach does have something to worry about.

"Jeez," Gray says, looking back towards the cage. Liv follows his gaze to find the raptor squad right on the other side of the bars, eyes fixated on Zach who takes an instinctive step back. "What's got them all worked up?"

"I think that's their version of the shovel talk," Liv says, sending the pack her thanks.

It's nice to know they care about her so much.

It's nice that she has _all_ of these people who care about her so much. She may not be able to have her Christmas wish, but what she does have, she wouldn't give up for the world.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note**_

 _The raptor puppy pile was unintentional. It just...kinda...happened? Lol, but I'm glad it did. Needed some fluff to go with the serious bits. It was a lot more serious than I originally planned the Christmas one-shot to be, but I like the places it went. Was almost tempted to just keep going but it had to end eventually._

 _I'm not sure when I'll be able to do the next one-shot-or even what it'll be-but this isn't the end yet. I've still got a few more tricks up my sleeves, so stay tuned!_

 _Hope you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW, and see you all next time!_


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